Guilbeau: Who is advising these LSU football players?

Louisiana State's football program was found to be second only to Ivy League-type Vanderbilt in the Southeastern Conference in a graduation rate study released last fall. The Tigers came in at a 77 percent rate of graduates between 2008 and 2011. Vanderbilt was first at 85 percent.

This would make some recent comments by present and recently past LSU football players that much more alarming:

? "I quit counting at 10," former LSU cornerback Tyrann Mathieu told an unidentified NFL assistant coach when asked how many times he failed drug tests before being dismissed from the LSU football team last August. "I really don't know."

Mathieu later criticized the NFL assistant for letting this out. "It is irresponsible and shows a lack of integrity for anyone to disclose medical information regardless of how it was gathered," he said in a LSU sports information release that was a bit holier than thou, considering the player in question. "I would expect that conversations regarding my drug testing history during the course of my medical treatment would be private."

Uh, "Honey Badger," your comments would have remained private had they not been so reckless ? and likely true. You give somebody a quote that interesting and audacious, whether it was supposed to be private or not, and it's going to get out. Also, chances are, if a player says in a private interview with an NFL coach that he once committed armed robbery, that might get out, too. "Irresponsible" is an interesting choice of word by Mathieu, who was arrested last fall for marijuana possession. Sorry if the NFL assistant's professionalism didn't match - ahem - yours, Tyrann.

? "You know, some weeks when we didn't have to play the harder teams, there were some times when effort was not needed," former defensive end Sam Montgomery said in a news conference at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis, Ind.

Montgomery is correct. Many players much better than him have probably done the same thing, but they did not say so in a press conference at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis. Montgomery often felt effort was not needed in the weight room and at practice either. This is why LSU coach Les Miles benched him in favor of Lavar Edwards early last season. Montgomery, once seen as a first rounder, was not chosen until late in the third round.

? "I actually took myself off the draft board during the draft," former LSU receiver/tailback Russell Shepard said on 104.5 FM/ESPN Radio in Baton Rouge. When host Matt Moscona was nice enough to give him a chance to correct himself, Shepard goofed again, saying, "I signed with them before the draft was over." He went on to say he would play receiver, tailback, Wildcat quarterback and kick and punt returner for the Eagles.

Shepard later said he agreed to sign - quite a difference. What really happened is Shepard had trouble coming to terms with the fact that he was not drafted. Most, including the Eagles, did not think he would be drafted. The team did nothing wrong.

Shepard is a nice young man with a lot of personality. Unfortunately, he remains delusional about his athletic ability and seems to know nothing about how the draft works. Now he thinks he will play Wildcat quarterback and return punts and kicks in the NFL. He never played Wildcat quarterback at LSU.

He never returned a punt at LSU and returned two kickoffs in his four-year career. Why does he think he'll do that in the NFL? And does he really think the Eagles are going to keep him now that the NFL is investigating its acquirement of Shepard?

? "I own Eunice. I got millions. I'm going to buy these projects, and you are going to be gone," former LSU cornerback Tharold Simon told a Eunice police officer before being arrested the night the NFL Draft began.

Simon, projected by some as a third rounder, was not drafted until the fifth round two days after his arrest. Fifth rounders do not make millions of dollars very quickly even if they do make the team. And if he does become a millionaire, there are better things he could own.

? "I never hit him," LSU tailback Jeremy Hill said after Baton Rouge Police showed Hill a video of Hill hitting a man outside a bar near LSU's campus. Hill was arrested for misdemeanor simple battery while on probation for a previous guilty plea to carnal knowledge of a juvenile. Miles suspended Hill indefinitely. If he is found in violation of his probation, Hill could return to jail.

LSU has a head football coach and nine assistants. There are 31 other support staff members and another nine associate or assistant athletic directors to athletic director Joe Alleva in the athletic department as well as about a dozen in the sports information department.

Does anyone talk to these players? Does anyone offer them advice? The answer is yes, and in some cases, until they are purple in the face. Media specialists regularly school LSU's football players on what to say and not say to the media.

NFL advisory boards tell them where they might be drafted. They are prepped for interviews with NFL coaches and management. For the most part, these kids have professional, well compensated baby sitters.

Sometimes kids just do not listen. But still, someone has to do a better job getting through to these players.

Not all of LSU's players are like the above, obviously. Most get it. Barkevious Mingo, Eric Reid and Bennie Logan are three of the best young men anyone could meet. They also happen to be great football players.

All three could also succeed without football. Maybe, that's what LSU and many schools need to focus on - life without football while they still have football.

The greatest junior class in LSU football history is gone. Miles and his team will surely miss Mingo, Reid and Logan and some others along with many of the seniors.

Miles will never say this publicly, and he and his program will always welcome back any former player - prodigal or not. But rest assured, there are some players leaving the program now that Miles will surely not miss.

---The writer covers LSU sports for The Town Talk and Gannett Louisiana.

ADVERTISEMENT

test

Most Popular

Most Commented

More Headlines

Most Viewed

Photo Galleries

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

Email this article

Guilbeau: Who is advising these LSU football players?

Louisiana State's football program was found to be second only to Ivy League-type Vanderbilt in the Southeastern Conference in a graduation rate study released last fall. The Tigers came in at a 77